Illness Representations and Lived Experience in Early-Stage Dementia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4639522
AutoresGuy Harman (Mental Health Services for Older People, Woodland Centre, Hillingdon PCT, Hillingdon Hospital, Middlesex, United Kingdom), L Clare (0000-0003-3989-5318, Bangor University)
Año2006
Volumen16
Número4
Páginas484-502
Fecha de publicación2006-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732306286851
PMID16513992
OpenAlexW2135481687
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas28
Referencias citadas35

The self-regulation model of illness behavior provides a framework for understanding how threats to self from chronic illness can be managed and proposes a significant role for illness representations. This framework can assist in illuminating the experience of developing dementia but has not previously been considered in this context. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with 9 people who had a diagnosis of early-stage dementia to explore illness representations and how these related to daily lived experience, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Two overarching themes emerged: It will get worse, reflecting an understanding of dementia; and I want to be me, reflecting a desire to maintain sense of identity. Participants faced a number of personal and interpersonal dilemmas. The authors present a preliminary model of the way in which illness representations contribute to the lived experience of early-stage dementia

Dementia · Developmental psychology · Disease · Interpersonal communication · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Lived experience · Psychology of self · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Sociology · Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Psychology · Social Psychology